The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-12-29
Washington Letter.

WASh1N0iON, ~ ~, LEU. EoJ 1901. :
Enough bills were offered In the
Senate the first few days of the session
to engage the attention Of that body |
for the next seven years, but vast I,
again see the light of day after being |
taken to the committee rooms.
During the session of theF Forty ninth !
Congress, fully $4,000 bills were intro
duced, of which number 5000 failed /!
to pass, but it is among the probabiii
ties that at least 80 per cent. of these
same old bills will again be brought
forward before two months have pass
ed In the Fiftieth Congress, one
fourth of the Senate is new and one
third of the House is new, and in con.
sequence, there will be much new leg
islation proposed, for it is historical
fact that newly elected members of
Congress are ambitious to distinguish
themselves in the first term of service
in order to impress their constituents
with the conviction that a second
election of the budding statesman is
necessary to the salvation of the
country.
The oft recurring question of wheth'
er it would not be best to abolish the
Congressional Record ..again presents
ITSELF The Record was originally de-
signed to be merely a condensed official
report of the proceedings of Congress
this is shown by reference to the files
of the old Globe, the predecessor of
the present publication. From being
simply an Ineligible synopsis of the
daings of Congress, sncroachment was
gradually made upon the space of the
Record until it has become the medi-
um through which long winded Con-
gressmen infiict upon the public and
their own constituents, speeches. many
of which were never delivered for it
ia often the case when the House or
Senate wishes to avoid being bored by
tiresome speaker, that the orator is
both silenced and satisfied by "leave
to print his remarks 1t is all the
same to the statesman so that he is
successful in his purpose to reach the
} voters. So it is safe to say that the
Congressional Record will not be aboI-
ished, but that it will continue to be
the medium of Congressional hatu-
lence and eloquence.
For the past year the prosperity OF
Posteffice De: artment has been little
short of marvellous, the result of pro
gressive business methods and eco
nomical management; the records OF
the ofsice show that there has been au
increase In one year of four million
dollars in the amount of postage stamps
sold. The Postmaster General gives
1t as his opini6n that there will be NO
deficiency as formerly, and that the
mail serviceis now on self sustaining
basis. This Department has lately
made new regulation that is of spec
ial interest to the general pub.
lie. particularly during this, the holi.
day season, when so many presents
are being sent through the mails
Heretofore persons transporting sec
: Ond. third, or fourth class parcels in
this manner, were requested to specify
on the outside thereof in writing the
class and kind of matter; but this is
no longer permissible, for, under the
, late ruling, packages of the three class
es, if written upon in the way de
scribed. except to give the sendsr's ad.
dress, are subject to letter rates.
The new vault for silver in the north
r court yard of the Treasury Department
is finished, and will soon give place tc
, many millions of the peoples money
it has capacity for storing one hun
dred million standard silver dollars
In the Senate the Blair Educatiopal
bill bss again been taken up, and
there 10 a strong probability that il
will pass both houses, and be vetoed
by President Cleveland the Depend.
ent Pension bill will also be pushed
forward to passage, and will likely
meet similar fate. A general Bank
rupt bill will be introduced in the
House, and apparently it has a good
chance Of becop ing law. It gives
$500 as the nlnimum and provides
that bankruptcy cases shall have pre-
cedence of all except State cases.
In the Senate the adjournment res.
Olu'ion was made the occasion of a
political discussion, provoked by the
Republicans, in which Messrs. Plumb
and Sherman severely assailed the
Presidents message, but Messrs Beck
and Butler very effectually exposed
the shallow hypocrisy of these two